Social Experiment

2011

Social Experiment is a collaboration between artists Klaas van Gorkum, Iratxe Jaio, Wouter Osterholt, Jonas Staal and Elke Uitentuis, who in October 2011 invited trainers of the Dutch police academy to train artists and students in analyzing, confronting, and controlling violent situations.

Apart from the training, which consisted of familiarizing trainees with the lawful use of violence on constitutional grounds, the analysis of fictional crises situations, and interrogation training, participants were further stimulated by means of debates, films, and relevant literature to apply the knowledge gained in these trainings to their own practices.

The main premise of the training was that only when art education helps students to understand the power relations underlying our society, they are able to articulate a relevant powerful position of their own and use their imagination to subvert existing social constructions to their own agenda.

PROJECT BY:

COMMISSIONED BY:

ArtEZ, Arnhem-Enschede-Zwolle (NL)

SUPPORTED BY:

Mondriaan Foundation, Amsterdam (NL)

Social Experiment

2011

Social Experiment is a collaboration between artists Klaas van Gorkum, Iratxe Jaio, Wouter Osterholt, Jonas Staal and Elke Uitentuis, who in October 2011 invited trainers of the Dutch police academy to train artists and students in analyzing, confronting, and controlling violent situations.

Apart from the training, which consisted of familiarizing trainees with the lawful use of violence on constitutional grounds, the analysis of fictional crises situations, and interrogation training, participants were further stimulated by means of debates, films, and relevant literature to apply the knowledge gained in these trainings to their own practices.

The main premise of the training was that only when art education helps students to understand the power relations underlying our society, they are able to articulate a relevant powerful position of their own and use their imagination to subvert existing social constructions to their own agenda.